Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [24]
‘If you speak our dialect, you have a placement,’ the man said, interrupting her again. ‘Answer.’
There was no hint of a lilt in his voice. The man’s irritation was transparent, though Jarrod couldn’t work out if it was towards him or Selene. He seemed to be scowling at them both. Jarrod’s eyes went soft, focused on nothing and everything at once. As he took a deep breath, he turned to the man, expanding his energy field towards him. He held him immobile until the other finally lowered his sword, a quizzical expression on his face.
‘My name is Shane,’ he said.
‘Thank you.’ Jarrod turned back to Selene. ‘I’m recently from Gaela, a long way away. I came here to…’
‘Did you come from there?’ she asked, nodding towards the mouth of the cave.
A race of interrupters, it seems.
‘Yes, I came to…’
‘Then I know why you’re here,’ she said, looking past him into the depths of the mountain. She sheathed her sword and nodded for Shane to do the same. ‘It’s him.’
‘How can you be sure?’
‘Who else could he be? Besides, you felt it, didn’t you?’
The man grimaced at her for some time before finally nodding.
‘We called you,’ she said, bringing her attention back to Jarrod.
He kept his face expressionless. Something wasn’t right. She couldn’t have been the one that called them. She wasn’t telepathic.
‘You need to come with me,’ Selene said. The words were not an invitation.
‘As I mentioned earlier,’ Jarrod replied, slowly standing up as he spoke. He brushed the dust from his hands while looking her in the eye. ‘I’m waiting for my friends. I don’t want to abandon them.’
‘You said you had one companion.’
‘Yes, I did, but it’s actually one, plus one other.’ Jarrod shot another mental thought to Drayco. Where are you two? Again there was no reply. They’d either not arrived yet, or had arrived elsewhere. Accept it, Cossica, and move on. It’s not going to solve itself in this moment.
‘He’ll wait for them,’ Selene said, tilting her head towards Shane. The other man stiffened, his face contorting as he stared back at her. It was obvious he didn’t like the idea at all, but the look in Selene’s eyes didn’t change. ‘I’m sure it won’t be long,’ she added.
‘What if it is?’ Shane asked.
‘You can practise one of those instruments you always have with you.’ Her tone was dismissive.
‘How long have you been waiting?’ he asked Jarrod.
‘A few days.’
‘So it couldn’t be much longer,’ she said. ‘Good news.’
Shane stood firm for a moment before sheathing his sword. The scowl on his face didn’t lift. He was not Jarrod’s first pick for Rosette’s welcoming party.
‘We need you now,’ Selene said to Jarrod. ‘Follow me.’
Jarrod had no desire to leave this man waiting for Rosette. She’d probably carve him to shreds before they’d exchanged two words—not that she would understand his language, or he hers. Still, he did look like he could handle himself, and Selene had a sense of urgency. He made a decision instantly from an infinite array of possibilities. ‘I’d like to leave a token for my companion, unless either of you have a notepad and pen?’
Neither did.
‘Her name is Rosette and she’ll be coming out of that cave some time soon. Her, and her familiar.’
Shane looked quizzical. ‘Familiar?’ He said the word as if it prickled his mouth. ‘What’s that?’
‘A temple cat…a large one.’
Shane shook his head.
‘I think he means tabby cat,’ Selene replied, her voice softening with the last word.
Jarrod smiled. ‘Yes, a tabby, more or less. More, really. He has no stripes, though. All black,’ Jarrod said. He held his hand hip-high. ‘And larger.’
‘Larger?’
‘A big beast.’
Shane wrinkled his nose.
‘Not a cat lover?’ Jarrod rubbed the back of his neck. Good luck. ‘Take this. It’ll help,’ Jarrod said, untying his pendant. He looked at it briefly. It was a silver falcon, wings outstretched and inlaid with turquoise. The wingtips curved upward, forming a semicircle topped by a brilliant ruby sun.
Handing it to Shane, he said, ‘It will persuade